Middle East - Report: USA prepares evacuation for war in Lebanon
The USA is preparing, in the face of increasing military confrontations between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah in Lebanon, for the possible evacuation of Americans from Lebanon. To this end, an additional warship and a Marine expedition unit have been deployed to the Mediterranean Sea to reinforce US troops in the region, reported the US network NBC, citing three US defense officials and a former US official. This step also serves to deter, to prevent the escalation of the conflict.
US officials are increasingly concerned that Israel may carry out intensive air raids and even a ground offensive in Lebanon in the coming weeks, it was reported. The US portal "Politico" also reported, citing US intelligence information, that it is likely that there will be a large-scale military confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah in the coming weeks, if there is no agreement on a ceasefire in the Gaza War between Israel and the Islamist Hamas.
Since the beginning of the Gaza War, there have been daily exchanges of fire between the Israeli army and Hezbollah in the border area between Israel and Lebanon. The latest clashes have intensified significantly. On Thursday evening, Hezbollah fired around 35 rockets into northern Israel, according to the Israeli army. Most of the rockets were intercepted. Hezbollah described the attack as a response to the killing of one of its fighters hours earlier. It is feared that a possible open war between Israel and Lebanon could spread into a regional conflict, in which the USA, as Israel's most important ally, could be drawn in.
- Given these escalating conflicts in the Middle East, particularly between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the US military is readying plans for an potential evacuation of its citizens.
- The NBC news network reported that the US has dispatched a warship and a Marine expedition unit to reinforce its troops in the Mediterranean Sea, as a precautionary measure.
- This military deployment is aimed at discouraging any further escalation of the conflict between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah in Lebanon's volatile region.
- The Gaza War between Israel and the Palestinian territories, specifically with the Islamist Hamas, has also been a source of concern for US intelligence agencies.
- Reports suggest that a large-scale military confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah is imminent, if a ceasefire agreement is not reached in the Gaza War.
- In the event of a full-blown war between Israel and Lebanon, analysts fear that the Middle East region, including its crucial maritime routes like the Mediterranean Sea, could become engulfed in broader conflicts, potentially involving key players like the USA.
